The New York Times: Bundle Economics at Full Value
The New York Times Company is a premium, subscription-led media business whose 13.08 million subscribers, about 12.52 million digital-only, fund journalism, sports via The Athletic, games, cooking, and advertising. The core thesis is that its multi-product bundle makes subscriptions harder to cancel: 2025 subscription revenue reached $1.95 billion of $2.825 billion total, and Q1 2026 digital-only subscription revenue rose 16.1%, yet at roughly 32x trailing earnings and 20x EV/EBITDA the stock prices in much of the next leg, with a temporary tax cash-flow windfall flattering free cash flow and AI search threatening top-of-funnel discovery. Rating Hold: a rare scale winner in paid news, but bundle economics, cash-flow quality, and AI optionality already sit close to full value with no margin of safety for new buyers.
